


because i love you

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: OQ Movie Week 2019 [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Established Relationship, F/M, Growing Old, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Inspired by Up (2009), OQ Movie Week, Past Character Death, Post-Canon, Promises, Sherwood Forest, Up (2009) References, Wakes & Funerals, Widowed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-29 06:06:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18219209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: "Regina, it's been twenty-five years.  I know you've taken good care of his grave and all, but you need to keep your promise.  His children are more than old enough to understand by now.  Hisgrandchildrenare old enough to understand."





	because i love you

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 23 March 2019  
> Word Count: 2574  
> Written for: OQ Movie Week 2019  
> Prompt: _Up_  
>  Summary: "Regina, it's been twenty-five years. I know you've taken good care of his grave and all, but you need to keep your promise. His children are more than old enough to understand by now. His _grandchildren_ are old enough to understand."  
> Spoilers: Post-series speculation, taking place ten years after the events of ep 07x22 "Leaving Storybrooke". Everything we know is up for grabs.  
> Warnings: Mentions of past major character death.  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: Look, this is probably more of loosely inspired by _Up_ than anything else, but I did what I could while trying not to get _too_ long. And the muses _STILL_ ran away with it… LOL! But I felt that this is something that needed to be done. Please don't kill me for the feeeeels, okay?! And yes, the title comes from one of Dug's lines in the movie. I couldn't help myself.
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: Not currently, so if I missed something, please be a doll and let me know?

"Hello, my love," she says softly as she approaches the headstone. It's never easy to come here, but she does it every year on the important days, and sometimes when she just needs to feel him near. Always when he's visited her dreams, which is coming with more frequency lately. She's afraid to consider what that means.

It takes a moment to lower herself to the grass, even with the help of her cane. She despises that she needs it at all, but she knows better than to fight it when all three of her sons turn those puppy eyes on her, citing their worry for her health and safety. Roland is the worst of them, pulling out those dimples that remind her so much of her beloved archer. If those don't work, all three of her boys get the grandchildren to gang up on her.

"I've missed you," she whispers, tracing the letters on the weathered headstone with a finger. "I wish…" Her words trail off, throat tightening in that way that always indicates tears are coming. "I hate this," she finally gets out. "I have everything I could ever imagine wanting… except for you at my side. I wasn't supposed to be doing this by myself."

Without thought, she sends a fireball off toward an old oak that has always reminded her of Robin. She's burned and restored it more times than she cares to think about in the past thirty-five years since he was taken from her, and yet it keeps growing and thriving, a constant silent companion in her soulmate's stead. It should be him at her side instead of in the ground, but Fate has never been her friend when it comes to her love life.

"Do you remember that night in Camelot?" she finally asks, attempting to keep the tears at bay again. "The night after you'd nearly died, when we made love and talked about so many things until the sun came up? You made me promise you something that night, and I haven't been very good at keeping it. I'm so sorry, Robin, I've been selfish. You deserve better than that. I-I'm going to rectify that very soon. I just need to sort out a few more things first. And… And I don't want to lose you again."

_~ two months earlier ~_

Little John is the first one to bring it up. She knows there's something on his mind by the way he throws her furtive glances when he thinks she's distracted. They've developed a strange kind of symbiotic friendship over the years since Robin's death, but it didn't start until after Henry had gone through the portal and found himself wandering around both parts of the Enchanted Forest. She remembers finding out from Queenie that Locksley had joined the Merry Men, but pointedly had not taken a leadership role. In fact, he vastly preferred to encourage some of the others into planning and running heists when they needed them. In fact, it was Queenie who got her and Little John talking again after learning of how he and the men kept Roland from trying to contact her or Regina. Not that they'd known of the split at the time.

"Yer Majesty," he says softly as he approaches her in her private garden, tending to her apple tree. "We, uh, we need to talk."

There's something about his tone that gives her pause, and she sets aside the pruning shears to face him curiously. He has two bottles of her cider in his hands and he looks like he'd sooner eat broken glass than have this conversation. She carefully settles on the bench beneath the apple tree and motions for him to join her.

"You look like you fear I'll tear your heart out for whatever it is you're about to say, John," she finally says. "You know I adore you almost as much as Robin did, and that could never happen."

He hands her one of the bottles, it's chilled perfectly, and shrugs. "You might want to rethink that after I explain myself." He goes silent then, staring at the bottle in his hand for a long moment. Suddenly, he drains half the bottle, shakes his head with a huff of surprise, and licks his lips. "I know about the promise you made to Robin in Camelot."

Eleven words. That's all it takes to suck the air from her lungs and crush her heart in the same instant. She struggles to breathe and takes a cue from him in draining half of her own bottle of cider. "Y-You do? How?" She can hear the fear and disbelief in her own voice.

"He told me and Tuck the next day, wanted to verify that we would also honor his wishes if the worst should happen again." He licks his lips and meets her gaze, conflicted love in his eyes. "Regina, it's been twenty-five years. I know you've taken good care of his grave and all, but you need to keep your promise. His children are more than old enough to understand by now. His _grandchildren_ are old enough to understand."

"I know," she whispers thickly, tears burning in her eyes.

"And we all helped you unite the realms ten years ago with bits of our hearts and our love, so it's not like you can't visit him where he wished to be laid to rest."

"I know," she repeats, unable to say anything else. She _knows_ deep down that he's right. She should've done this ten years ago, but she's been afraid to let go. It took longer than this to finally let Daniel go.

"I know you love him still with all your heart, but so do the men and I. None of us are getting any younger, Regina, and I want to know that Robin's there when it's my time to be laid to rest."

The thought of losing John or any of the remaining Merry Men kills her. They've become her brothers in so many ways, particularly since being reunited through Queenie and Locksley's influence. And he's right about Robin's grandchildren. Both Robyn and Roland have been able to continue the Locksley family line. She remembers the funerals when Tuck and Much both had passed away, knows that Robin won't be alone, that she's destined to join him in the afterlife when it's her turn to let go.

"It's time," she finally whispers, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I assume you and the men will want to come along?"

"We would, but we understand that you might want the initial phase to be private, just you and the family."

That makes her head snap up to stare at him. "You are his family, too, John." A look of horror crosses her face. "If I ever made you feel otherw--"

"You didn't." She's not sure when they set their bottles aside, but his large hands engulf and dwarf hers. "But your relationship with him was different than ours. We would like to be there, just as we were when the first funeral happened, but understand that it's on your terms."

She nods slowly. "Just-- Let me properly prepare for it?"

"Whatever you need," he replies, pulling her into a hug as she dissolves into tears.

_~ present ~_

The night before the caravan is to depart, Regina can't sleep. Luckily for her, Roland's infant son, Bertie, is teething and will only settle in her arms. She wanders the halls and gardens of the castle with her grandson cradled to her chest, telling him stories about Robin's adventures and where they'll be traveling to in the morning. A few hours before dawn, he finally settles and she relaxes in the chaise in her bedroom, letting his warm weight guide her into sleep and another dream visit with her soulmate.

She wakes feeling refreshed and surprisingly happy, given the task of the day. The group of them is larger than she'd prefer, but she knows how much Robin meant to everyone assembled and she can't find it in her heart to tell them they can't go to pay their respects. They take carriages magically enhanced to travel at the speed of cars; those who prefer horses will also have magically enhanced mounts to keep up. It will take three hours to get to Sherwood Forest, and Queenie and Locksley have agreed to meet them there.

Regina rides in the carriage that directly follows the glass-sided one that bears Robin's coffin, as befits his soulmate. John travels with her as his closest friend and blood brother, as do Roland and Robyn as his children. Their spouses and children ride in the next carriage, along with both Henrys, Ella, Lucy, and her younger brother. It's a crowded fit, but they don't mind, or so they've repeatedly assured Regina. Everyone else packs into another pair of carriages at the end of the caravan, and the younger of the Merry Men ride horses as honor guard, flanking both Robin's carriage and Regina's.

By the time they arrive in Sherwood, John gently wakes Regina and she's a bit depressed that Robin didn't visit her dreams. She can tell by their faces that her three carriage mates were sharing stories of Robin, based on the tears in their eyes. She hugs each of them tightly before they step out into the forest she hasn't returned to in more than a decade. Memories wash over her as she sees Queenie and Locksley waiting for them, and she wishes more than anything that Robin could be here, too.

John and Locksley take charge, having worked to plan and prepare the actual spot for Robin's coffin, as Regina and Queenie hug and shed a few tears at the memory of seeing that coffin again. The sound of Bertie's wails pull them apart and Regina scoops up her youngest grandson to soothe him in tandem with Queenie. The maternal instinct in both is still too strong to quell, and they pass Bertie back and forth until he falls asleep in Queenie's arms.

Before she knows it, John comes over to tell them it's time for the new internment ceremony. Bertie is passed back to his mother to rest in his stroller as she, Queenie, Roland, Robyn, and Henry stand at the front of the group assembled. The rest of their family and friends stand in a semicircle behind them, mindful of the graves already there for former Merry Men.

If asked later, Regina won't be able to tell you what all was said during this brief ceremony, no more than she had at the first. Her grief is still there, muted only by the passage of time and the knowledge that Robin awaits her in the afterlife. The other main difference this time is the quiver of arrows standing next to Robin's coffin. Each person who steps forward selects an arrow from the full to bursting quiver and sets it on the lid. Finally, it's down to only seven people to pay their homage to her soulmate. Roland and Robyn share a look before Roland nods to Locksley, who steps out with a very familiar quiver bearing seven arrows. Tears fill Regina's eyes as she recognizes it, but it's not until Locksley pulls out the first that she understands. Sunlight gleams off the golden tip of the arrow, the sight of it blurring as the tears obscure her vision.

One by one, they leave the golden tipped arrows on the lid, interspersed among the others: Locksley, John, Henry, Robyn, Roland. And then it's just her and Queenie. Queenie offers her a small smile and takes the second last arrow from Locksley before standing with her head bowed in respect of her twin's soulmate and sets the arrow in its place.

And then it's just her. She feels briefly exposed, knowing that everyone is watching her, but she pushes that out of her mind to focus on finally fulfilling her promise to her soulmate. She takes the arrow from the quiver and walks up to the coffin. There are far more arrows now than there were at the first funeral, and it warms her heart to know that Robin is still so cherished by so many people. She presses her lips to the tip of the arrow, sucks in a startled breath when the tip leaves a neat little cut across her lip and the base of her scar. Blinking, she realizes there's the faintest splash of red boldly on the gold, and lets out a soft laugh at the symbolism. 

As soon as she settles the arrow amongst the others, she steps back into the welcome embrace of John's arms. But this is apparently not the last of what her family has planned. While she was busy paying her respects to her soulmate, Henry and Roland were handing out brightly colored balloons to everyone assembled. Both of them stop next to her and John, handing them each a balloon. She recognizes the touch of magic on them as Queenie's, and knows what they mean. The seven of them hold out their arms and on a count of three from Roland, they release their balloons to float up into the air. Looking back, she sees everyone else doing the same, and the tears fall harder. She feels strong, familiar arms wrapping around her, Henry and Roland holding her close as she cries, their own tears mingling with hers.

*****

"I finally fulfilled my promise to you, Robin," she murmurs a little while later. Everyone else has wandered away toward the feast that Queenie and Locksley prepared for the occasion, but she's not quite up to people right now. "I know it took longer than it should have, and I know you know why, but I want to apologize to you again for the delay. I will be back as often as I can to visit with you."

She looks up and smiles at the sight of one of the red balloons hovering several feet above her head, the string clearly caught in a tree's branches. "I'd like to think that's my balloon up there, that you're holding it here to show me that you're pleased to be home again. I know it's not Paradise Falls, but this has always been home and haven to you, and clearly the boys wanted to honor your enjoyment of that movie from so long ago."

The sound of Bertie squawking pulls her attention away briefly. "You know Roland's already promised me that Bertie will learn all of your ways just as he learned them from you. Lucy and her little brother learned them, too, as will Robyn and Alice's children. Your legacy is alive and well, my love, and your memory will live for eternity. I love you, I miss you, but my story is not quite over yet. There are yet more adventures that await me. Please promise me that you'll still be waiting when it finally is my time to join you?"

The faintest breeze brushes her skin just as his hands did once upon a time, and she smells that loamy pine scent that has always been Robin's. It is an elicit promise that her soulmate will still wait for her, and she feels one more burden fall away from her heart.

"Rest well, thief of my heart, and know that you are always in my heart and my thoughts."


End file.
